2023-11-03 02:16:40
France said last week that it would send the ship Tonnerre to the eastern Mediterranean in what it described as a mission to support Gaza hospitals. This week, Egypt began receiving limited numbers of wounded across its border with Gaza.
In an interview with the Israeli public broadcaster (Radio Kan), Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany, was asked whether Israel had asked France and other European countries to send floating hospitals to receive Gaza’s wounded in the Egyptian port of Al-Arish, which is close to the Palestinian Strip.
The Israeli ambassador replied that this scenario was correct, saying that he had submitted a request in this way to Berlin.
“I don’t know yet if this will happen,” said Prosor, a former director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. “We have submitted the request. I think the matter is under discussion. There is a tendency here in Europe to help with humanitarian issues in any way we can.”
A German Defense Ministry spokesman said that Berlin is in close contact with its Israeli partners and every request will be carefully studied. But he declined to comment on the specific request for a floating hospital.
He added, “Please understand that I cannot comment on the content and details of secret talks.” He was apparently referring to a meeting between German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Prosor on Tuesday.
A French military source said that the Tonnerre carrier, which includes about 60 beds and two surgical suites, can only be used temporarily and as support for a larger hospital on the ground.
The French source added, “The ship’s medical support capabilities make it possible to provide a rapid response, but only temporary and only complementary to large hospital facilities capable of treating large flows of infected people effectively and for a period of time.”
The source said that Tonnerre is currently still off the coast of Cyprus, and no decision has been made about where it will be anchored and how it will be used. France’s immediate priority is to provide humanitarian aid via air bridges through Egypt.
Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said in an interview with France Info Radio that Paris had decided to also send the second helicopter carrier, Dixmode, to the region and that it would be converted into a floating hospital.
When asked about the possibilities of transporting people from land to sea, Licorno said that things are still in the planning stage and discussions are continuing with the Egyptian and Israeli authorities.
“The idea is to say to all actors in this conflict that we cannot leave the civilian population vulnerable and, above all, without a healthcare solution at the humanitarian level,” Lecorno added.
He said he hoped France’s decision to send ships would encourage others to do the same.
A French diplomatic source said it was unlikely that Tonnerre would be used as a naval field hospital for Palestinians or foreigners in Gaza.
The source said the idea was to figure out how the ship, along with other ships in the region, could eventually be used to help establish a field hospital in southern Gaza, although it would all depend on the situation on the ground and regional discussions.
Prosor said that Israel also asked Italy to send a floating ship, but has not received a response yet.
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